Ru-Rong Ji

Professor in Anesthesiology

Distinguished Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology, in the School of Medicine

Professor in Neurobiology

Professor in Cell Biology

Email address: ru-rong.ji@duke.edu

Chronic pain is a major health problem in the US, affecting 100 million Americans. The long-term goal of the lab is to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the genesis of chronic pain and, furthermore, to develop novel pain therapeutics that can target these mechanisms. We are interested in the following questions. (1) How do neuroinflammation and activation of glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) regulate pain and spinal cord synaptic plasticity via neuro-glial and neuro-immune interactions? (2) How do secreted miRNAs regulate neuronal signaling and synaptic transmission and pain as novel neuromodulators and pain mediators? (3) How do pro-resolution lipid mediators such as resolvins and protectin control pain via GPCR and arrestin signaling? (4) Do pain and itch share similar mechanisms? (5) How does Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in primary sensory neurons regulate pain and itch? (6) How can bone marrow stem cells produce long-term pain relief via secreting anti-inflammatory and trophic factors? We employ a multidisciplinary approach that covers in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo electrophysiology, neuronal and glial cell biology, transgenic mice, and behaviors.

Education and Training

Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Ph.D. 1990

Associated Faculty Labs

Ji Lab

Selected Grants and Awards

Department Affiliation

Department of Anesthesiology

Publications

Chandra, Sharat, Zilong Wang, Xueshu Tao, Ouyang Chen, Xin Luo, Ru-Rong Ji, and Andrey V. Bortsov. “Computer-aided Discovery of a New Nav1.7 Inhibitor for Treatment of Pain and Itch.” Anesthesiology 133, no. 3 (September 2020): 611–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000003427.

Donnelly, Christopher R., Ouyang Chen, and Ru-Rong Ji. “How Do Sensory Neurons Sense Danger Signals?” Trends Neurosci, August 21, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2020.07.008.

Donnelly, Christopher R., Amanda S. Andriessen, Gang Chen, Kaiyuan Wang, Changyu Jiang, William Maixner, and Ru-Rong Ji. “Central Nervous System Targets: Glial Cell Mechanisms in Chronic Pain.” Neurotherapeutics, August 20, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-020-00905-7.

Tao, Xueshu, Michael S. Lee, Christopher R. Donnelly, and Ru-Rong Ji. “Neuromodulation, Specialized Proresolving Mediators, and Resolution of Pain.” Neurotherapeutics, July 21, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-020-00892-9.

Wang, Kaiyuan, Yun Gu, Yihan Liao, Sangsu Bang, Christopher R. Donnelly, Ouyang Chen, Xueshu Tao, Anthony J. Mirando, Matthew J. Hilton, and Ru-Rong Ji. “PD-1 blockade inhibits osteoclast formation and murine bone cancer pain.” J Clin Invest 130, no. 7 (July 1, 2020): 3603–20. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI133334.

Lee, Jun-Ho, Chul-Kyu Park, Gang Chen, Qingjian Han, Rou-Gang Xie, Tong Liu, Ru-Rong Ji, and Seok-Yong Lee. “Retraction Notice to: A Monoclonal Antibody that Targets a NaV1.7 Channel Voltage Sensor for Pain and Itch Relief.” Cell 181, no. 7 (June 25, 2020): 1695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.019.

Chen, Ouyang, Christopher R. Donnelly, and Ru-Rong Ji. “Regulation of pain by neuro-immune interactions between macrophages and nociceptor sensory neurons.” Curr Opin Neurobiol 62 (June 2020): 17–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2019.11.006.

Buchheit, Thomas, Yul Huh, William Maixner, Jianguo Cheng, and Ru-Rong Ji. “Neuroimmune modulation of pain and regenerative pain medicine.” J Clin Invest 130, no. 5 (May 1, 2020): 2164–76. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI134439.

Mishra, Santosh K., Joshua J. Wheeler, Saumitra Pitake, Huiping Ding, Changyu Jiang, Tomoki Fukuyama, Judy S. Paps, et al. “Periostin Activation of Integrin Receptors on Sensory Neurons Induces Allergic Itch.” Cell Rep 31, no. 1 (April 7, 2020): 107472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.036.

Suo, Yang, Zilong Wang, Lejla Zubcevic, Allen L. Hsu, Qianru He, Mario J. Borgnia, Ru-Rong Ji, and Seok-Yong Lee. “Structural Insights into Electrophile Irritant Sensing by the Human TRPA1 Channel.” Neuron 105, no. 5 (March 4, 2020): 882-894.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.023.